Meet Sheila Guerrero | Special Effects MUA/Makeup Artist and Inventor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sheila Guerrero and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sheila, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I think about risk-taking the feeling of fear is immediately invoked and the question of failing populates in my mind. However, over the years I have taken many risks. One risk that comes to mind is the time I resigned from my job in broadcast news to travel with the play Wicked – that was one huge risk. I remember feeling like a failure because I had dreamed of working in tv news for so many years – even before starting college.

I genuinely believe God assists us in risk-taking by ushering us into our purpose by way of paths we would not necessarily take otherwise. My experience with one of those push moments came when a news producer I worked alongside at WHBQ Fox 13 invited me on a news story to go behind the scenes of Wicked. While assisting the photojournalist with the camera cables the makeup supervisor for Wicked, Joyce McGilberry, asked me if anyone ever told me that I have a gift of makeup and I immediately replied, “Yes.” As the interview progressed Ms. McGilberry gave me her business card and told me to call her. I sent her a text instead of calling about a week later and she called me within minutes. We talked about makeup and my blossoming news career and then the conversation shifted – she invited me to join her on tour. I was tremendously shocked because that meant I had to make the decision on working in my field of study or operating in my gift of makeup. I asked for the opinions of so many including John Koski, former vice president and general manager of WHBQ Memphis, and he advised me to go – I did.

“Feel the fear and do it anyway” is one quote I implement when I know risk-taking is a factor and I can unequivocally say the outcomes have been amazing. If I did not take the risk of joining Wicked, I would not have had the motivation and enthusiasm to propel my makeup company, Can I Do Your Makeup (C.I.D.Y Makeup), to the next level. When I returned home from touring with Wicked, I developed a more robust special effects makeup brand, created C.I.D.Y Makeup cosmetics and received a United States patent for my C.I.D.Y Makeup Brush Cleansing Kit.

Therefore, risk-taking to me means whatever lessons learned or accomplishments on the other side of risk are mine for the taking.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart from others is my special effects element within my makeup brand. I do not limit myself only to enhancing one’s own beauty, I also enjoy making my clients look older than their age with my aging techniques, decrepit and scary with my skill of special effects makeup.

In addition, I am most proud of my cosmetics brand. My cosmetics line also sets me apart from the most notable cosmetics companies in the world because I have a geographical education component. The acronym C.I.D.Y in C.I.D.Y Makeup is pronounced “city” and I have built my complete collection around bridging the world together through makeup. I have lipsticks and lip-glosses named after various cities around the globe and when consumers purchase a lip-wear they also receive a postcard with a QR code as the postage stamp and once scanned with a smartphone the consumers will learn about that specific city’s demographics. I also have the United Nations eyeshadow palette and No Border lipliners.

I arrived where I am today because of faith – I have faith in God and myself. My journey here is also because of amazing people who believe in me and have allowed me to use their platforms to catapult me further.

Easy? No. Entrepreneurship has not been easy to say the least and I would not want the easy route because the reward would not be as fulfilling for me. I needed to go through the stresses of applying for a business loan, sleepless nights, tears, lack of support, and people telling me no. I needed those barriers to be my testimony to encourage the next entrepreneur or next person I meet in passing. I was able to overcome the challenges by realizing the tough times were not permanent. I knew then and I know now that better days are ahead.

The lessons I have learned along the way are to remain consistent, research and become proficient in the beauty industry, remove all naysayers, eliminate all distracting noises, and keep the faith.
I would like the world to know I am a woman of faith and of fortitude. A woman who is optimistic that we can heal the world through love, kindness, and a renewed mindset of peace. I look forward to the day my brand, C.I.D.Y Makeup, can help lead the way and continue bridging the world together through makeup.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would definitely visit the National Museum of African American Music, eat at Hattie B’s Hot Chicken for lunch, have a blast on Broadway, attend a Titan’s game and for dinner the one and only Monell’s!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I categorically dedicate my shoutout to Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking video Thriller is responsible for my love for special effects makeup. As an adolescent I watched Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller and emphatically stated aloud, “I can do that!” I began practicing and later entered Halloween contests and won them all for years. The moments of me watching Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller were another one of those push moments I mentioned previously from God.

I can confidently say I felt as though I was under the tutelage of Michael and special effects makeup pioneer Rick Baker as I studied the video. Michael’s exceptional ability to visualize, execute and revolutionize the arts created a ripple effect that flowed to me, and the current remains – thank you Michael Jackson, I love you.

Website: www.cidymakeup.com

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